Podcast Summary: The Binge Cases: Where is Daniel Morcombe?

Episode 7: Mr Big (November 12, 2025)

Host: Matt Angel | Produced by: Sony Music Entertainment & Campside Media
Theme: The “Mr. Big” undercover operation that cracked Australia’s most infamous child abduction and murder case.

Overview

This episode recounts the extraordinary undercover “Mr. Big” operation used by police to obtain a confession from Brett Peter Cowan, the man responsible for the disappearance of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe in 2003. Listeners are taken inside the high-stakes sting—from its origins and psychology to the pivotal moment Cowan admits guilt, and the subsequent, tension-filled arrest. The episode lays bare the emotional, legal, and ethical complexity of closing such a monumental case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Psychological Profile and Years of Frustration

• Police Perspective: For nearly 8 years, Bruce and Denise Morcombe were desperately seeking answers, while police repeatedly turned to those close to Cowan for psychological profiling.
• Cowan’s Suitability as a Target:
  • "He was a self-absorbed, pathological liar. He was impulsive, driven by money, and desperate for attention and acceptance. In other words, he was the perfect target for what was to come." — Matt Angel (03:16)

2. Enter Detective Grant Linwood and the Undercover Setup

• Instructions to Linwood:
  • Make Cowan believe he is “free” from the investigation (03:39)
  • Facilitate contact between Cowan and the undercover operative “Joe Emery” (04:16)
  • "They became besties by the end of the flight." — Detective Grant Linwood (04:26)
• Strategy: Police used personal contacts and intelligence to place Cowan in scenarios that deepened his bond with the operative, all communications were meticulously recorded.

3. The “Mr. Big” Operation Explained

• Origins and Mechanics:
  • Described as a high-cost, high-stakes tactic originally from Canada, used when police suspect a perpetrator but lack admissible evidence. (07:23-08:29)
  • Ross Barnett (Deputy Commissioner, QLD Police):
    • "It's essentially only used in very serious matters, usually a cold case murder..." (08:09)
    • "The end game is the attempt to gain the confession." (08:35)
• Legal & Ethical Dilemmas:
  • Concerns about false confessions and procedural “unfairness” (09:04)
  • Method’s legality in Australia—since “no real crimes” are committed by the undercover officers, it passes the High Court test if confessions are voluntary and verifiable (09:46-11:05)
  • "If they tell the suspect that they're going to steal a car, it's not being stolen, it's just been borrowed from a friendly source." — Ross Barnett (09:46)

4. Setting the Trap for Cowan

• Timing the Subpoena & Final Operation
  • “The COVID operatives had spent months setting the table. The subpoena was served… It was time for Brett Peter Cowan to meet Mr. Big.” (12:15)

5. Inside the “Mr. Big” Confession

The Meeting (16:45 - 24:23)

• Surveillance and real-time observation by the investigation team (16:14)
• Mr. Big Sets the Stage:
  • "All I'm looking for is loyalty, respect and honesty. And I'll pay you back as you pay me back." — Arnold, Undercover Operative (Mr. Big) (17:38)
• Cowan’s Initial Denial: “I guarantee I had nothing to do with Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance.” (18:13)
• Pressure mounts until Cowan breaks:
  • “Yeah, okay. No, I did.” — Brett Peter Cowan’s confession (22:05)
• Emotional Response: Investigator disbelief and relief at achieving a confession for such a reviled crime (22:11-22:44)

Detailed Confession & Site Walkthrough

• Cowan confesses method and location (22:44 onward):
  • How he encountered Daniel at the bus stop, lured him, attempted molestation, and—upon Daniel’s resistance—killed him in a panic (23:14-24:13).
  • Disposed of the body, clothing, and described the scene in detail.

6. The Aftermath: Verification, Stakes, and the Arrest Decision

• Police scramble to coordinate the next steps, knowing the confession alone may not be enough without physical evidence due to possible flood destruction of the crime scene (27:15-31:23)
• Moral Duty & Risk Calculation:
  • "If [Cowan] knows he's going to be arrested for a murder, he might...be emboldened to commit another offence before he's caught." — Ross Barnett (32:03)
  • Linwood’s presentation underscores Cowan’s past as an impulsive, opportunistic predator—deliberating the risk of letting him go. (32:22)
  • "There was no reason to leave him at large." — Ross Barnett (33:44)

7. Arrest and Final Irony

• The Arrest:
  • Executed at the crime scene, in front of waiting investigators.
  • "He was like a deer in headlights." — Detective Grant Linwood (35:41)
  • “[Cowan] just shuts up and plays it cool." — Linwood on Cowan’s reaction (36:58)
• Poetic Justice:
  • "I think it’s highly ironic that we did the same thing to him. ... The master deceiver and manipulator was deceived and manipulated himself. We did to him what he did to Dan." — Ross Barnett (38:31)

8. Emotional Closure for the Morcombe Family

• Denise Morcombe’s Reflection:
  • “For seven years and nine months, I always waited for him to come home and walk…through that front door…But like when Bob Atkinson phoned to say that Cowan had been arrested for Daniel's murder, that was…probably worse than knowing the first night that he went missing…” (41:23)
  • The red rose and hibiscus cultivated in Daniel’s honor.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Yeah, okay. No, I did.” — Brett Peter Cowan [22:05]
  The stunning moment of confession, after significant psychological maneuvering.
• "If this was a scenario where he killed other drug dealers...but to come out and admit what he’d done, I just didn’t think he’d do it—even if he had." — Detective Grant Linwood [18:19]
• "The master deceiver and the master manipulator was deceived and manipulated himself." — Ross Barnett [38:31]
• "He was like a deer in headlights." — Detective Grant Linwood [35:41]
• "There was no reason to leave him at large." — Ross Barnett [33:44]
• "But like when Bob Atkinson phoned to say that Cowan had been arrested for Daniel's murder, that was...probably worse than knowing the first night that he went missing..." — Denise Morcombe [41:23]

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:01–04:03: Setting the psychological stage; Detective Linwood’s orders
• 04:03–06:12: Undercover operation begins: “Joe Emery” bonds with Cowan
• 07:23–11:05: “Mr. Big” technique explained (with Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett)
• 12:15–16:45: Linwood arrives in WA; operational logistics
• 16:45–24:13: The Mr. Big meeting, confession, and full crime retelling
• 27:03–31:23: Admissibility, risk of media leaks, and operational caution
• 32:03–33:44: Deciding to arrest Cowan vs. letting him go
• 35:28–36:58: The dramatic arrest at the crime scene
• 38:31–40:23: Poetic justice—police deploying Cowan’s own deceptive tactics
• 41:23–end: Family closure and aftermath

Tone & Style

The episode is somber, methodical, and tense, with moments of clinical police insight punctuated by emotional reflections. The storytelling is immersive, with authentic dialogue, careful pacing, and a respectful handling of the subject matter.

Conclusion

Episode 7, “Mr. Big,” details the pivotal, risky, and controversial undercover operation that finally closed the Daniel Morcombe case. Listeners gain unprecedented insight into the minds of police, the psychological manipulation of the operation, and the toll such cases take on the investigators and the family. The podcast leaves you with the chilling parallel—justice achieved through a deception eerily mirroring the crime itself, and the bittersweet comfort brought to a grieving family and a nation.